1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer based inventory and sales systems, and particularly to a shoe size scanner system which permits retail sales clerks and customers to ascertain whether shoe display models are currently in stock in a particular shoe size.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of retail sales, it is necessary to make maximum use of automated systems for tracking inventory in order to free store clerk time for assisting customers. Shoe stores, in particular, lose many man hours in searching stock rooms to ascertain whether a shoe on display is currently in stock in a given size and color. Many potential sales are lost because potential customers cannot determine whether a model on display is in stock in their size without the assistance of a sales clerk. If the store happens to be busy, the customer may have to wait twenty to thirty minutes for a sales clerk to become available, and another ten to twenty minutes while the clerk searches the stock room to look for the proper size shoe, only to be told that the shoe is not available in the desired size.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have an automated system which may be used by the clerk to determine whether an item on display is in stock in a particular size without the necessity for going to the stockroom and manually searching the shelves. It would further be desirable to have an automated system which may be used by the customer without the assistance of a sales clerk to determine whether an item on display is in stock in a particular size. Several patents describe automated systems to facilitate inventory and sales in the retail setting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,401, issued Mar. 2, 1999 to J. Joseph describes an inventory system for a retail shoe store which displays an alternate shoe when the requested shoe is out of stock. When a sales clerk enters a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item a sales computer accesses a product database to determine the size ranges for that SKU number, then a size conversion database to determine the size corresponding to the actual shoe size desired, then a size database to determine the number of units received an sold in that size. If the shoe is not in stock, an alternative shoe is selected and a JPEG image of the alternative shoe is displayed. The only mention of bar codes in the Joseph patent is for tracking requests from the salesperson to the stockroom. The Joseph patent does not describe a method for customer access to the automated system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,808, also issued to J. Joseph on Aug. 17, 1999, discloses a method of tracking inventory versus display items in a shoe store. Each shoe on display is associated with a tag displaying a bar code and a price. A handheld bar code scanner is used to scan the bar code of all items displayed in the store. The information in the scanner memory is downloaded to a central computer which looks to the ID Tag Number associated with the bar code to determine the SKU and examines the databases described in the ""401 patent to determine current inventory stocks. If the display is not in stock or is only available in limited numbers which should be on display, a report is generated. A report is also generated for items in stock but not on display.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,871, issued Nov. 8, 1994 to Gupta, et al., teaches a system which provides shoppers with remote portable units for reading Universal Price Code (UPC) bar codes, particularly for use in supermarkets where the remote units may be attached to shopping carts. The system includes a host computer, an intermediate computer and a plurality of remote units. The host computer periodically updates price information on the intermediate computer and also controls prices at checkout counters. The remote units include a microprocessor with RAM which receives updated price information from the intermediate computer. The shopper may scan the UPC on various items to determine the price, and may total the items scanned to determine what the total bill is. The Gupta device does not provide size or inventory information for items on display but stored in a stockroom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,438, issued Jun. 11, 1991 to Wakatsuki, et al., shows a portable pen-scanner for reading bar codes when doing inventory work. The scanner includes a remote transmitter/receiver for wireless transmission of inventory order information from the scanner to a data processing device. U.S Pat. No. 5,890,136, issued Mar. 30, 1999 to L. Kipp, describes a mass retail system for automated sales which includes an inventory database which is updated as sales are made. International Patent No. WO 97/26610, published Jul. 24, 1997, discloses a handheld computer unit by car salesmen which provides access to dealership inventory and the inventory of other dealerships.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a shoe size scanner system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The shoe size scanner system is an automated system for use in retail stores, and particularly in shoe stores. The scanner system has a base unit which interfaces with the store""s computerized inventory system, and a plurality of remote units which interface with the base unit. The remote units include at least the input device of a bar code scanner, and may be either fixed mount or portable, handheld scanning units. The fixed mount units are positioned in fixed locations, such as display shelves or tables and may be used by either store clerks or customers. The handheld units are intended for use by sales clerks, and may be supported by a neck strap, arm band, or belt clip. According to the shoe size scanner system, each shoe on display in the store has a bar code affixed thereto which encodes an identifier number corresponding to the model of the shoe. Either a sales clerk or a customer may scan the bar code with a remote unit, which communicates with the base unit and returns identification of the shoe model. The sales clerk or customer may then select one of three function keys so that the remote unit will display, for that particular model, either (1) a list of all shoe sizes in stock; (2) a response indicating whether the shoe is in stock in a specified length and width; or (3) a list of all shoe widths in stock in a specified length. Price information for each shoe listed in the response is provided.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to increase sales clerk efficiency by providing an automated shoe size scanning system for ascertaining whether a shoe on display is available in a particular shoe size.
It is another object of the invention to improve customer convenience through an automated shoe size scanner system enabling a customer to ascertain whether a shoe on display is available in a desired size without the intervention of a sales clerk.
It is a further object of the invention to enable sales clerks and customers to determine up-to-date in stock inventory of items on display in a retail store without the necessity of a manual search of the stock room.
Still another object of the invention is to increase efficiency in retail sales by providing sales clerks and customers with means for remote, limited access to the store""s computerized inventory system.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.